Broken
by UnholyUnderBoob
Summary: When something happens to Rachel that changes her deep inside, she never expected Santana to be the one to save her. Pezberry friendship. Brittana. Fabrevans. Puckleberry. Warnings inside. Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**When something happens to Rachel that changes her deep inside, she never expected Santana to be the one to save her. Pezberry friendship. Brittana. Fabrevans. Puckleberry. Rated M. Warnings inside.**_

_**Contains sexual, physical and verbal abuse.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 1

The ground is cold and damp underneath her bare feet and the bitter winter wind clings to every inch of her bruised and battered body as she achingly walks through the parking lot of Mckinley high, extremely aware of her naked body underneath the filthy coat she had found in the lost and found box. The thick rusting stench of her own blood fills her nostrils and she swallows the bile that rises in her throat, glancing nervously behind her and feeling her heartbeat quicken when she notices his car is still there. Her feet grow numb from the cold and they struggle to carry her any further but the sight of another car in the parking lot encourages her to keep moving, what if it's one of his friends? The quiet idling of the red mustang's engine sounds louder to the girl as she lets out a sob as the driver side door opens, forcing her legs to move faster in an attempt to put some distance between herself and the other person. The footsteps behind her grow quicker and louder as they get nearer to her and she falls to the ground, her exhausted body unable to hold it's own weight.

"Berry?" Santana's shocked voice cuts through the cold air like a knife and Rachel never thought she'd be so relieved to hear the cheerio's voice. "Q!, bring me a blanket!" Santana yells towards her car, the volume of her yell causing Rachel to flinch and curl her body into itself. "Hey hey, you're okay. I'm not going to hurt you Rachel" the latina's voice is soft and soothing and Rachel doesn't know whether it's that or the fact that Santana used her name but she finds herself listening to her and allowing Santana's strong arms pulling her to her feet.

"What the hell is going on?" Quinn demands as she reaches them, Santana ignoring her and taking the blanet from her grasp, wrapping it gently around Rachel and lifting the surprisingly light girl into her arms. "Oh my god" Quinn breathes, her gaze focusing on the crimson blood that runs down Rachel's leg and sticks to her hair and stains her face. "San, we need to get her to a hospital" she hisses urgently.

"No..no hospital" Rachel whimpers as Santana places her in the backseat of her car. "No hospital..please. Just get me away from him" Santana glances up at Quinn in horror, hot, burning tears filling her dark eyes.

"He's still inside?" Santana asks in a devasted whisper, Rachel's painful nod causing fear to ripple inside her soul. "Quinn, look after her!" the latina orders, clambering out of the car and attempting to stride across the parking lot, Quinn's iron grip on her wrist stopping her.

"Santana, you can't go in there!" Quinn tells her desperately.

"You heard her! Whoever did this to her is still inside, I have to find Brittany!" Santana responds harshly. Quinn's hazel eyes fill with terror as she glances back at the darkened school but she doesn't let go of her friend's wrist, if anything she tightens her grasp. "I swear to god Fabray, if you don't let go of me I will make you. I am not just waiting out and here and hoping that Brittany is okay!" Santana snaps, wrenching her arm from Quinn and taking off across the parking lot, sprinting as fast she can, desperate to get to her girlfriend with no thoughts about her own safety. Relief flows through her like a warmth she has never felt before when the door opens and the tall, blonde cheerleader walks out. Brittany smiles brightly at her girlfriend, a smile that drops when she takes in the latina's terrified expression.

"San..what? What is it?" Brittany asks in concern, rushing forward and taking Santana into her arms.

"We have to get out of here, now" Santana responds firmly, taking her girlfriend's hand into hers and pulling her across the parking lot. "Rachel's hurt" she offers as a simple explanation, there is no reason to tell Brittany anything else just yet, not until they are safely in the car...there's no need to scare the girl. Santana all but shoves Brittany into the front passenger seat as soon as they reach the car and she pushes her keys into Quinn's hands before climbing into the back with Rachel. She's surprised when the broken girl curls into her arms and she momentarily stiffens before wrapping her toned arms around her. "You're okay" Santana whispers, it's the only thing she can think of to say to her as Quinn pulls the car out of the parking space, the sudden movement causing Rachel to whimper and grab onto the front of Santana's tank top with her clammy, bloody hand.

"No hospital" she whispers to the silent car.

"My dad is at home, he's a doctor. We'll take you there, okay?" Santana replies softly, glad that Rachel nods her agreement. She meets Quinn's gaze in the rear view mirror, the stoic blonde giving her a stiff nod to let Santana know she understands where to go. "Britt, can you turn the heating on please baby?" she murmurs to Brittany, their eyes meeting in a silent conversation, confirming that they will talk about it later. Santana can't keep the image of Rachel lying in a terrified ball in the parking lot from her mind, wondering how anyone could do this to another human being.

_**To be continued..**_

_**Just a short chapter to start things off, future chapters will be longer. Please review.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you so much for all the reviews for the first chapter and all of the alerts, kind of stunned by how many people have this on alert already!**_

_**Hopefully this chapter will live up to the first one! R&R please :)**_

Chapter 2

Mateo Lopez has seen several young women in this state and each time, his heart aches for them. He thinks of his only child, his little girl who he thinks the world of and it scares him that there are so many people in Lima who are willing to hurt girls her age. He gazes at his daughter carefully as she helps Rachel into the house and he keeps a polite distance, the last thing the poor girl would want is a man she doesn't know carrying her through the door. Mateo gestures for the girls to walk into the livingroom as his wife scurries around the house, grabbing things she thinks they will need.

"Mija, can I speak to you for a moment?" Mateo asks while the three cheerleaders help the petite, battered brunette onto the large sofa. Santana nods and gently pulls Rachel's hand from her tank top, murmuring reassuringly to her that she'll be right back. The young Latina silently follows her father from the room and into the large kitchen where her mother is waiting, the woman instantly taking Santana into her arms.

"I'm sorry, Papi. She didn't want to go to hospital and I didn't know what else to do!" Santana explains, her sob muffled as she buries her face in Maribel's shoulder, her mother gently rubbing her back and whispering soothing words to her.

"It's alright, mija. You did good, you got her away from the school and you brought her to the safest place you know. You can't force someone to go to the hospital, you did the right thing" Mateo murmurs, squeezing his daughter's shoulder reassuringly. "I'll talk to her and I will help as much as I possibly can and hopefully I can convince her to go to the hospital because..well, it looks serious sweetheart" he explains as gently as he can. "I know this is very upsetting but we need to think of that poor girl, she'll need you to be a good friend" he adds. Santana nods and swipes at the tears that cascade from her dark eyes and pulls out of her Mother's embrace, allowing her Father to guide her into the livingroom where Rachel is cowering on the sofa. The devastated girl is putting as much space between her and Brittany and Quinn as much as is physically possible and Santana doubts she'd want her near her. She's surprised when Rachel's wide brown eyes lock onto hers, the girl pleading with the latina with her gaze and Santana carefully moves to sit next to her, Rachel gripping onto her hand. "Girls, can you give us a moment? Maribel is going to fix you some hot chocolate in the kitchen" Mateo tells the two blondes kindly, waiting until his daughter's friends have left the room before sitting down in one of the armchairs, watching Rachel carefully. "I'm Mateo, Santana's father. I saw your performace in West Side story, you were wonderful" he smiles.

"Thank you" Rachel murmurs shakily, tightening her grip on Santana's hand. Santana is shocked that Rachel is looking to her for support, especially after the years of hell she put her through as Quinn's right hand woman. She assumes it's because she was the one to find her and the one to take charge and get her out of there.

"I need to ask you a few questions, is that alright? Mateo asks her carefully, Rachel only answering with a tentative nod and shooting Santana a nervous and terrified glance.

"You can trust him, he's a good man" Santana murmurs sincerely. "He just wants to help" she adds tenderly. "He can ask yes or no questions, you don't have to explain too much" the latina tells her, sending her father a pointed look and he nods seriously. "I'm right here, we can stop anytime you need, okay?" Rachel nods. "You ready?" Another nod. Santana shifts her body a little closer to the girl and turns her attention to her dad, waiting for him to begin.

"The person who did this to you, do you know them?" Mateo asks softly and Rachel nods, her face crumpling with despair as she fights against the fresh tears that leak from her chocolate brown eyes. Eyes that usually look so beautiful and shiny, eyes that now look red and puffy and dull. "Was it a boy?"

"Yes" Rachel chokes out.

"I can see he hurt you...did he.." Mateo sighs softly, "Did he rape you, Rachel?" his tone flooded with regret but he knows that he needs to ask and his heart breaks when the traumatised girl nods, sobbing into Santana's shoulder while the latina forces herself to hold it together. "Sweetheart, we need to get you to a hospital" Mateo states gently, his gaze kind. "I can have one of my female co-workers help you, if you want this person to pay then we need to get you to hospital"

"You're strong, Rachel. You can do this and I'll be there with you, or even in the waiting room if you don't want me in the room. Who did this to you?" Santana's voice is softer than Rachel has ever heard it, the compassion and protectiveness surprising her. "Will you come to the hospital?" the latina questions quietly, relieved when the broken girl nods again. She rocks Rachel gently, being careful not to put any pressure on any of the cuts or developing bruises that marr the petite girl's skin.

"Please stay with me" Rachel whimpers, her cold hands leaving Santana's arm and gripping onto her shirt, her face buried in Santana's chest as the cheerleader wraps her arms around her.

"I'll stay, I won't leave you. You don't have to do this on your own. You want me to call your dads?" Santana asks her as Mateo watches on with pride as his compassionate daughter takes control of the situation. He notices the smaller girl flinch at the mention of her fathers and he eyes her curiously with concern in his dark, kind eyes.

"My dads are in France..on vacation" Rachel whispers. "Please don't bother them" she adds pleadingly, her gaze desperate as she glances at Mateo. "Please"

"I'm not going to do anything that you don't want me to" he promises. "I'm going to talk to my wife and then the three of us can drive to the hospital, alright?"

"Ok" Rachel whimpers, watching the man leave the livingroom and squirming even closer to Santana.

"He's gonna pay for this, okay? I won't let him hurt you again" Santana states passionately, feeling extremely protective of her peer who she hadn't been close to in the past but for some reason she feels like she needs to protect her, her instincts telling her to. "Who did this to you?"

"It was.." Rachel chokes on a sob as she struggles to get the word out, "It was Finn"

_**To be continued..**_

_**Just a short chapter to start things off, future chapters will be longer. Please review.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you so much for the reviews for the last chapter and I apologise for the wait, I'm doing my absolute best to update this as quick as I can. For anyone who has been asking about the pairings for this story, they are all in the description.**_

_**If you guys have any questions about any of my stories then feel free to ask on Tumblr: **__**NayaFanFF.**_

_**Flashbacks are in italics. **__**This chapter may be include triggers for some people.**_

_**R&R please. **_

Chapter 3

Maribel watches with silent pride as her daughter helps Rachel to her feet, her arms wrapped around the smaller girl's waist as she murmurs reassurances to her. The older Lopez women loves her daughter with all her heart and has a great relationship with her but she knows all too well that Santana isn't exactly the nicest girl to be around while at school and she is sure that Rachel has seen her daughter's meaner side more than once in the past. She, of course, understands that Santana has spent the last few years being terrified and confused about who she is and that the bullying she did was due to the anger that stemmed from the fear and confusion. Santana has most likely never admitted this to Rachel but Maribel knows that her daughter is extremely grateful to the petite girl for all the support she and the other girls showed her after that awful commercial aired. She also knows that the two girls have recently started a tentative friendship after working together for a glee club assignment and that her daughter had softened towards Rachel. Hell, Santana had softened towards most people, apart from Finn, since she had openly accepted herself.

"Mami?" Maribel focuses on her daughter when she hears her timid voice and takes a few careful steps towards her and Rachel, aware of the fact that Rachel will be wary of her at the moment due to them not actually knowing each other and due to the trauma she has went through tonight. "Can Quinn and Britt stay here until someone comes to pick them up?" Santana asks quietly. "I don't want them going home alone"

"Of course sweetheart" Maribel softly replies, she doesn't want them to go home alone either. "I'll make up the guest bedroom for you girls coming back" she adds and Rachel's head whips up, the girl eyeing her curiously but she doesn't argue; she doesn't want to stay along in her empty house. Rachel flinches when Brittany stands up and approaches them, the blonde girl freezing and immediately looking guilty.

"I'm sorry" Brittany murmurs. "I was just gonna..." she trails off and gestures towards Santana. "Say good night.."

"It's okay" Rachel murmurs in a small voice and Brittany takes a couple of careful steps forward, kissing Santana's cheek before backing up again.

"I'll call you tomorrow, babe" Santana tells her girlfriend softly before glancing over at Maribel, making meaningful eye contact and the older woman nods a silent promise to keep her daughter's girlfriend and friend safe while she's gone. Santana didn't think it was possible for Rachel to cling any tighter to her but she is proven wrong when she leads them out of the house, the smaller girl whimpering and Santana knows it's not because of the cold air that hits them when they step outside. "It's okay, my dad is right there" the latina murmurs soothingly, pointing to her father's black mercedes as it idles in the driveway. "I'll sit in the back with you" she adds softly and Rachel nods timidly as Santana pulls open the door and ushers her inside. Rachel feels herself relax a little as she leans back against the leather seat, still gripping on to Santana's hand for dear life. She begins to feel a little drowsy in the warm car and she blinks her heavy lids rapidly in an attempt to stay awake. "Are you tired?" Rachel glances up at Santana, realising that the cheerleader has been studying her.

"Yeah" she murmurs, her voice raspy from all of her recent crying and she swallows heavily.

"Close your eyes, I'll wake you when we get there" Santana states softly. "You're safe" she adds sincerely.

_Fear grips her insides like a freezing cold hand, her own blood staining her shaking hand as she holds her pounding head. His putrid breath blows into her face in hot puffs and his fingers dig painfully into her hips, no doubt leaving cresent moon bruises behind. Rachel can hear other voices inside the filthy locker room, laughing at her and encouraging their friend. She recognises the voices but her fear and panic is so overwhelming that she can't focus enough to connect the voices to a face. Finn's clumsy hands tug at her panties, ripping the material in his haste to remove the one remaining boundary between him and her small body. No, he can't do this...She doesn't want this. Why would he do this to her? He had promised he would wait until she was ready._

_"Come on, Rachel. You know you want this" he sneers and she fights against the bile that rises in her throatt, desperately shaking her head as she tugs open his jeans._

_"No..I don't..please. Please Finn!" Rachel sobs, struggling underneath him and doing her best to bat his hands away, only to find another set of hands pinning her arms over her head, his hood hanging too low for her to see his face. "I don't want this!" she screams.."Please stop!"_

_"Shut your fucking mouth" Finn snaps at her, glaring down at the young woman he claims to be in love with._

_"I don't want this" she repeats, her voice weaker this time and a hand covers her mouth, it's owner yelping in pain when she bites him. Her ears ring from the force of the slap that the hooded man retaliates with and burning tears leak from her eyes as she feels Finn press himself between her legs._

_"This might hurt" he smirks, his friend's large hand muffling her pained scream as he roughly pushes inside of her, the cheers from two other men coming from the corner of the darkened locker room. She sobs around the hand, in more pain than she has ever felt before in her life and she prays that it will end soon, prays that someone will come to save her. But nobody does. Her gut wrenching sobs echo in the room, the hand unable to stifle them any longer._

0-00-0

Rachel jerks awake and glances around her in terrified confusion, sitting up quickly and beginning to panic. She cries out in shock when warm arms slide around her torso and gently pull her against them.

"Rachel, it's okay. It's Santana, you're okay. You're in my Dad's car" Santana murmurs gently. "You were having a nightmare and you were screaming, I thought it would be best to wake you, I'm sorry" she adds hurriedly, questioning her actions as she studies Rachel's tear stained and panicked features. "He can't hurt you anymore. He'd have to get through us and I promise you that won't happen" Santana tells her seriously, noting with some relief that Rachel seems to accept her promise.

"Mija, your Mother just text me..she had Dave take the girls home and wait until they were inside before leaving. Their parents were home so they're not alone" Mateo explains softly. "He's changed his plans, he's going to stay home tonight with your Mother" he adds and Rachel feels Santana's body relax slightly. Rachel wonders who Dave is, she knows that Santana is an only child and she hasn't heard her mention anyone named Dave before. Of course, she and Santana don't actually talk very often so it's understandable that she doesn't know who this person this.

"Karofsky" Santana murmurs and Rachel looks up at her, realising that the latina had been watching her again and must have noticed her confusion. "He stays with us a lot, it's a long story" Santana shrugs. "It's his story" she adds softly. "He's okay, he'll help you if you need him to" she states quietly, guessing that Rachel will need reassurances about him considering all that he put their friend through.

"We're here Mija" Mateo interrupts and the girls notice with surprise that they are in the hospital parking lot, neither of them had even noticed the car stopping.

"I'm right here" Santana whispers to Rachel and the smaller girl nods nervously, bracing herself for what is about to come.

_**To be continued...Thank you for reading. Please review.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you so much for all of the reviews for the last chapter, I was worried about it so I'm so relieved you guys liked it, thank you!**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 4

Rachel has always hated hospitals. Even when she was a little girl, she hated them. The strong smell of disinfectant, the bright lights that hurt her eyes and the many people bustling around the building just made it too intense for her. None of that seems to bother her now. The only thing she can smell is her own blood. She had always thought it was ridiculous when she read a book and the character claimed to smell their own blood but now, she understands it. Her left eye is swollen shut but she can't remember at what point of the night it happened, she doesn't remember being hit in the face. It doesn't hurt but then nothing actually hurts right now, she can't feel anything apart from Santana's arm around her waist, everything else just feels..numb. Rachel looks up to find Santana looking at her in concern and she realises the other girl had been speaking to her.

"Sorry...I was just.." Rachel finishes with a weak shrug, unsure of how to actually explain how she is feeling.

"It's alright" Santana replies gently. "I was just telling you that my dad got you a female doctor. Do you want me to come with you or would you rather I stayed outside?" she questions softly.

"Come, please" Rachel whispers and Santana immediately nods. Mateo shoots her a reassuring smile as Santana guides her further into the emergency room, following after the nurse who is showing them to a room. Rachel had expected to be taken to an uncomfortable bed which only had the privacy of a flimsy curtain, like she had been taken to when she broke her wrist as a child so she is surprised when they walk passed them. The nurse leads them into a private room and Rachel assumes that Santana's father had used his hospital status to guarantee the private room.

"The police would like to speak to you after Doctor Lawrence has seen you" the woman states as kindly as she can. "Would you like me to help you get changed into a gown or is your friend going to do that?" she asks.

"I don't know" Rachel whispers, suddenly feeling even more vulnerable just at the thought of taking her clothes off.

"I can help you..if you're okay with that" Santana murmurs and Rachel is surprised at the feeling of relief that flows through her. She nods tentatively and the nurse smiles tightly at her.

"Make sure to put your clothes in this bag" she explains. "The police will want them and please do not use the shower until you have been cleared to do so" she adds before bustling out of the room. Santana frowns at how clinical the woman was, Rachel needed someone warm and approachable around her..not someone who is cold and detached.

"Let's get you into the gown before the doctor gets here" Santana states softly, Rachel nodding as she chews on her bottom lip. The Latina realises that Rachel isn't wearing anything underneath the dirty coat and the blanket and she also realises that she may feel even more vulnerable if Santana sees her body. She makes eye contact with Rachel as she gently pulls the blanket away from her.

"The nurse said they needed my clothes..I don't have them" Rachel whimpers.

"It's okay, the nurse didn't think to ask if you still had your clothes. That's her fault, not yours" Santana responds soothingly. She purposely keeps her eyes trained on milk chocolate orbs as she helps Rachel out of the coat, pointedly not looking down.

"He made eye contact too" Rachel whispers. "I couldn't see any of the old Finn in them..just evil" Santana panics slightly, wondering if the eye constant eye contact is a bad idea.

"Am I making you uncomfortable? What do you see in mine?" she asks quietly.

"Safety"

"So keep looking" the Latina states kindly as she helps the beaten and abused girl into the hospital gown.

"Why are you helping me? You hate me" Rachel whispers nervously.

"I don't hate you, I can understand why you would think that though. I put that picture in my locker like you asked, I wouldn't have done that if I didn't see you as my friend" Santana explains, gently guiding Rachel to the bed and helping her to get onto it; her injuries making it hard. "I'm sorry" the Latina adds. "I was awful to you and you didn't deserve that"

"I did, I was obnoxious and that had to anger everyone else. We're both better people now" Rachel states and, despite the circumstances, Santana can't help but smile softly. She's also glad that Rachel is actually speaking now. "Can you stay? When the doctor...you know" she asks nervously.

"Of course" Santana nods as she grabs the chair next to the bed and moves it as close to the bed as possible before sitting down on it. She notices Rachel flinch when the doctor enters the room so she offers the traumatised girl her hand, Rachel grabbing it straight away.

"Hi, Rachel. I'm Doctor Lawrence" the doctor states in a soft, kind voice. "I know it's scary and I know you are nervous but I promise you, I'm here to help you and I know Santana very well, she'll look after you" she explains warmly. "Of course, at any time during the examination you want to stop then you tell me and we will but I will be honest, it's easier to keep going and get it over with as quickly as possible" she adds and Rachel's eyes flood with tears for what feels like the hundredth time tonight. "If you want to stop at any time, we will" Doctor Lawrence repeats. Rachel fixes her gaze on the wall as a nurse joins them in the room, thankfully a different one than before. She winces as the nurse helps her lift her legs into the stirrups, vaguely feeling a sheet being draped across her opened thighs. She can hear Doctor Lawrence speaking to her but the words don't quite make it to her ears and she grips onto Santana's hand as though it's the last thing holding her to the earth.

"Rachel" Santana's warm voice breaks into the fog of Rachel's mind and Rachel realises, with shock, that her chest is heaving and tears are streaming from her eyes. "Try to breathe" Santana murmurs to the hyperventilating girl. The Latina moves her and Rachel's hand to her chest and meets her terrified gaze. "Follow my breathing, in...and out. My eyes...what do you see?" she questions gently.

"Safety" Rachel murmurs, repeating what she has said earlier.

"That's right. You're safe with me" Santana tells her seriously. She watches her carefully for a few moments, silently waiting until Rachel's breathing is as even as it can be in this circumstance. "You're doing great" Santana states with a small, reassuring smile.

"We're finished, Rachel" Doctor Lawrence informs her. "Would you like a few moments before the police come in?" she asks, receiving a shaky nod in response. The nurse gently helps Rachel remove her legs from the stirrups and covers her up again before silently leaving the room after the doctor.

0-00-0

Santana drops into one of the chairs in the waiting room and holds her head in her hands with an exhausted sigh. She feels her father's strong yet gentle arm wrap around her and she sinks into his comforting embrace. Santana wishes she had been allowed to stay in the room with Rachel while the police talk to her but they had held firm so now all she can do is sit outside and feel helpless.

"I'm proud of you, mija" Mateo murmurs.

"There's nothing to be proud of, anyone else would have done the same thing if they had found her in the same state that I did. Only a monster wouldn't" Santana mutters.

"But no everyone would stick around afterwards to help. I know you, you're not doing it because it feels like an obligation..you want to do this, you want to help her. It is very admirable and it will be a major relief to Rachel for her to know that she has someone who is strongly on her side like you are" Mateo tells her softly.

"I don't understand why Finn would do this. I always knew he was a self righteous idiot and I hated him for forcing me out of the closet but I didn't realise he was evil. Because to do something like this, you have to be truly evil. He's huge and she is tiny. I know that doesn't actually matter, I know that nobody should be violated like this regardless of size but it just feels like it's even worse to do it to someone so small. I don't want her going home until her dads are back" Santana states severely.

"You don't need to worry about that, I spoke to your mother a little while ago. She and David have made up the guest room and are currently looking up vegan recipes on the computer" Mateo reassures his daughter. "I spoke to Doctor Lawrence and Rachel will be kept here overnight while they keep an eye on her other injuries, maybe you should go home and get some sleep?" he suggests, knowing there is no chance in hell his daughter will leave this hospital before Rachel does.

"No. I'm staying with her" Santana replies, her features serious and determined.

"Alright, Mija. I'm going to go call your mother and let her know that we're staying here" Mateo states, not missing the appreciation in Santana's eyes when she realises her father is staying with her. "I'll have her bring some clothes for you both in the morning" he adds. Santana watches her father walk down the brightly lit corridor and she sighs heavily and leans back in the chair; this is going to be a long night.

_**To be continued.. Thank you for reading. Reviews are greatly appreciated :)**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you very much for all of the reviews for this story so far, I appreciate it so much!**_

_**The chapters for this have been gradually getting longer, I'm hoping to get them all to a decent length in future, thank you for your patience!**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 5

Rachel whimpers as she steps into a pair of Santana's sweatpants, her whole body aching now that her shock and adrenaline is wearing off. Maribel had brought over some clothes for her to wear early this morning and Rachel is relieved that the clothes are loose fitting. She has to roll the waistband of the sweatpants a couple of times but they otherwise fit. Rachel leans against the bathroom wall tiredly, even the simple act of dressing herself had exhausted her; it is as though her body is punishing her for what it was put through...as though it blames her. Is she to blame? Did she somehow ask for this? Or deserve it? No...she said no..that should have been enough. That's what Miss Holiday had told them when she subbed her health class. The victims of rape are just that, victims. It's not the way a girl dresses or her personality or even, in some people's cases, their past promiscuity that's to blame, it's the attackers fault, always. No should be enough. Why wasn't it enough?

"Rachel?" She hears Santana's voice from the other side of the bathroom door, only just realising that she had been sobbing. Rachel stumbles forward and unlocks the door, falling into Santana's arms as soon as the door is open. "You're okay, I've got you" the Latina murmurs softly, her arms wrapping around Rachel's small body, tightly but gently. "The police want to talk to you again, we'll be with you this time" she states reassuringly. "And then you can come back to my place and get some rest" Santana adds. Rachel nods against the latina's shoulder and shakily pulls out of the hug, smiling slightly when Santana holds out her hand, taking it and grasping the warm skin tightly.

"Thank you" Rachel murmurs and Santana shrugs with a smile. The two girls walk out of the bathroom to find Maribel and Mateo sitting on the edge of Rachel's hospital bed, both wearing worried and hopeful smiles; a strange combination.

"They fit you better than I thought" Maribel states softly, gesturing to Santana's clothes that are only a little too big for Rachel. Mateo makes eye contact with his daughter, looking deeply into exhausted dark eyes and he wishes there was more he and his wife could do. He knows they are doing everything that is possible but as he watches Santana and Rachel, it doesn't feel enough. A loud knock on the hospital room door causes him to look up, catching Rachel's flinch out of the corner of his eye as he gazes at the two police officers in the doorway. Mateo nods for them to come in and he stands up, holding his hand out for both men to shake.

"I'm Doctor Lopez" he states.

"Good morning, Doc. I'm officer Davis and this is officer Harper" the taller of the two officer replies. "We won't keep you guys long, we got most of what we needed last night" he adds, turning to face Rachel with a gentle smile. "How are you holding up, Miss Berry?" he asks. Davis isn't surprised by the weak shrug that he receives in response; it's a dumb question. "We just wanted to let you know that we arrested Finn Hudson this morning. We're still waiting on the results from the lab so we haven't pressed any formal charges as of yet. Have you remembered anymore details of the attack?" Despite the man's gentle approach, just hearing _his_ name causes bile to rise in Rachel's throat and she forces her aching body to sprint back into the bathroom, emptying her stomach into the toilet.

"Could we possibly do this later?" Mateo asks while his wife and daughter rush to attend to Rachel. "She's exhausted and clearly still very traumatised" he reasons and the two officers nod.

"Of course" Officer Harper nods.

"Rachel will be at my house" Mateo states quietly as he pulls a notepad and a pen from his jacket, quickly writing down his address. "This is our address" he adds, ripping the paper from the pad and handing it to them.

"If she remembers anything before then, namely who the other men were then please call us and we'll come over sooner"

"I will" Mateo responds grimly, noticing his daughter coming out of the bathroom, knowing that she heard that last part by the way she freezes. He waits until the officers have left before turning to face his daughter.

"There was more than one?" Santana questions softly, her face contorting with a mixture of fury and devastation.

"This is Rachel's story to tell, mija" her father regretfully replies. "Allow her to tell you" he murmurs as he holds his arms out, his daughter tiredly falling into the embrace. "In her own time though, don't push her. She already had to relive it to the police last night and it's even harder to do so when the person you're talking to cares about you"

"My reaction could upset her?" Santana asks.

"Possibly. You just have to be there. She will talk in her own time and until then, be there" Mateo whispers softly. "I don't want either of you girls to go anywhere on your own until we know it's safe. No more sneaking out to parties after you've told us you've gone to bed. No more ditching school to go to the mall. Now more than ever, I need to know where you are at all times" he tells her seriously, his tone of voice telling Santana that arguing would be useless...not that she wants to argue this time. Hell, she isn't even interested in how her father knows about her misdeeds or why he hadn't mentioned it until now. All she cares about is getting Rachel home, knowing she isn't going to sleep much until she is convinced the girl is safe and at least showing the tiniest sign of recovery.

0-00-0

Dave notices Rachel watching him warily as he walks into the kitchen to put his plate in the sink. He doesn't blame her. Even if she hadn't just gone through what she did, she still had plenty of reasons to distrust him. He and Kurt may have solved their problems, especially after Kurt had visited him in hospital but Dave knows that Kurt's best friend will still be upset about it all; that's what best friends are like.

"Hey" Dave murmurs, keeping as much space between them as possible to keep Rachel at ease. He's relieved when she musters up a weak smile. It's not much but it's at least something. Maribel enters just as he opens the refrigerator door, slapping his hand away and closing it again.

"I'm making breakfast, sit down and stop eating all of the cheese" she scolds, smiling when he leans down to kiss his cheek. Rachel watches as Dave sits down on the chair furthest away from her while Maribel straightens the collar of his polo shirt. "Did you get much sleep last night?" the woman asks him.

"Yeah. I'm glad they finally moved those temporary stop lights from outside. Every time they turned red my room would look like a brothel" Dave remarks, smirking at the raised brow he receives from Maribel.

"Santana will be down soon, she's just getting changed. We'll get some food in you and then you can rest. I hope you don't mind sharing with Santana, we moved the futon into her room" Maribel explains kindly.

"That's fine" Rachel whispers.

"You can take the guest room" Dave suddenly states. Rachel studies him for a moment, realising that, even though they call it the guest room, he's here enough for it to be classed as his room. His interactions with Maribel tells her that.

"It's okay. I'm fine with Santana" Rachel murmurs, feeling guilty when his face falls. "It's not you...I just, I'd rather be with Santana" she adds softly.

"It's okay. I get it" he smiles. They sit in silence as Maribel starts preparing breakfast, the silence only interrupted when Santana walks into the kitchen, dressed in a tank top and pajama bottoms. The latina ruffles Dave's hear in greeting as she passes him, letting out a little squeal as he pokes her side in retaliation. Rachel feels reassured merely by Santana's presence and allows herself to relax slightly when she sits down next to her. She struggles to keep her thoughts away from last night's events, feeling stifled just by the memories. It's as though Finn is still in the same room as her, as though his hands are still on her..as though he is still inside of her.

"I can't do this" she blurts out, standing up suddenly and causing her chair to fall over loudly. "I'm sorry..I just..I can't"

"Hey..Rachel, it's okay" Santana tells her softly. "I'm right here. Rachel squeezes her eyes closed and blindly shakes her head, her breaths coming out fast and uneven.

"I can feel him" Rachel whispers. Dave stands up, ready to leave..thinking she is meaning him, freezing when he hears the next words out of her mouth. "Finn...he's.. I can't..I can't do this"

"Rachel" Santana calls out, more sharply than she had intended but glad to see it works in gaining the girl's attention. "You're not there. You're here. Open your eyes...look at me. Remember what you see in my eyes...please" Santana whispers pleadingly as Dave and Maribel look on helplessly. Santana watches carefully as the broken girl in front of her opens her red and tear filled eyes. "Look at me, Rachel. Remember what you see"

"Safety" Rachel nods tearfully. "I'm sorry...I'm tryi.." her words are cut off by the sudden rush of vomit in her throat and she throws up all over the kitchen floor, her body giving out underneath her a second later. The last thing she notices is Santana and Dave catching her before the world goes black.

_**To be continued..Thank you for reading. reviews are greatly appreciated :)**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you so much for all of your reviews for the last chapter - I'm so thrilled that so many of you like this story. I hope this chapter will live up to the previous ones.**_

_**A/N **__**- I know that this chapter is pretty short and I apologise for that. I've been doing my best to get updates out for all of my stories since I came back from my little break, I'll make sure to get a much longer chapter out soon! Thanks :)**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 6

Rachel groans in pain as she wakes up, her aching body reminding her that everything she hopes is a nightmare, isn't. She cracks her exhausted eyes open and looks around the room she is in, recognising it as Santana's living room; someone must have carried her in her and laid her on the sofa. She feels embarrassment flow through her as she remembers throwing up on the kitchen floor, shameful and hot tears stinging the corner of her still swollen eyes. Rachel catches movement out of the corner of her eye and she turns to face Dave as he walks further into the room, the young man freezing on the spot when he realises Rachel is awake.

"Sorry..I just..Santana told me to bring these," he stutters, slowly backing away from the girl while glancing down at the bottle of pills and the glass of water in his hand.

"You don't have to leave," Rachel states quietly, surprising herself as much as Dave. She doesn't know if she should trust him yet but knowing that Santana trusts and cares for him is enough for now. She struggles to sit up as Dave places the pills and the water on the coffee table, the young man watching her with a frown.

"You should rest," he murmurs, hoping he isn't stepping out of line by advising her.

"I have to..the kitchen floor," Rachel whispers, embarrassment turning the tips of her ears pink.

"Dave already took care of it." Rachel jumps in surprise when she hears Santana's voice, looking up to see her standing in the doorway, casually leaning against the frame.

"Oh. Thank you," Rachel whispers to Dave, the boy waving her off. "You didn't have to."

"When you live with Santana you get used to it, a couple of her Saturday morning hangovers have been...eventful," he replies with a kind smile, shooting Santana a teasing grin. Rachel watches them as they interact, intrigued by their, seemingly, strong relationship. Rachel smiles weakly when Santana flips him off, Dave merely chuckling at her as he moves to leave the room, stopping to gently squeeze the latina's shoulder reassuringly.

"How are you feeling?" Santana asks gently, slowly crossing the room to sit on the coffee table, facing Rachel.

"Better. I'm sorry about what happened in the kitchen, I just...I don't know," Rachel trails off and stares down at the floor.

"Don't apologise. Don't try to explain either" Santana murmurs. "I know that this is something I can't understand. We're not judging you. We just want to help you and protect you. All of us."

"I just feel so dirty," Rachel whimpers. "It's like I can still feel him on me and all I want to do is wash him away, but I can't." Santana can feel a giant lump rising in her throat and she feels as though her heart is cracking into a million pieces as she gazes at Rachel helplessly. "He's on me. I can his hands, his rough skin scratching against my body. I can smell his awful cologne and taste his mouth on mine. Everytime I close my eyes, I can hear his voice whispering the most vile things to me and see the evil enjoyment in his eyes." Rachel chokes back a sob and tightly hugs her arms around herself, sliding back against the sofa as far as she physically can, willing the cushions to just swallow her whole and end her pain. "Why did he do this to me? What did I do wrong?" she asks tearfully, her eyes wide as she stares at Santana as though the other girl holds all the answers to the universe, or at least like she hopes she does.

"Rachel, listen to me, you did _nothing_ wrong. He is a sick bastard who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of his miserable life! You did not deserve this and _none_ of this is your fault. You said no, that should have been enough," Santana states strongly. "You will get through this, I promise. You are so strong, Rachel, so strong and I will be there every single step of the way," she promises sincerely.

"How can I get better when I can't even remember who else was there?" Rachel questions softly.

"You will remember, and they'll be arrested too." Santana responds calmly.

"What if I don't though? What if I can't place the voices to a face? What happens if they come after me?" Rachel asks in panic, her breathing growing fast and ragged.

"Rachel, please try to breathe," Santana murmurs, "you're gonna have another panic attack." Santana scoots closer to her and tentatively places her warm hand on the other girl's knee. "Just follow my breathing, okay?" Rachel nods silently and they sit in silence as Rachel slowly calms down. Santana slides closer to her once she senses it's okay to do so, their shoulders touching as they sit together on the sofa.

"Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me," Santana murmurs softly, gently grasping Rachel's hand.

"No, I do. I need you to know how grateful I am," Rachel argues.

"I already know you're grateful but, I tell you what, to save you from telling me all the time, I'll assume that you're grateful unless told otherwise," Santana states teasingly, effectively lightening the mood and distracting Rachel from her heartbreaking pain.

"Santana?" They both look up to see Maribel standing in the doorway. "Your father came home for lunch and we'd like to have a little chat with you both."

0-00-0

Rachel sends Mateo a shy and nervous smile as she sits down opposite him at the kitchen table, Santana automatically sitting next to her. It surprises Rachel just how much safer and braver she feels in Santana's supportive presence. Santana had never been a person that Rachel thought she would feel protected by, especially because the other teenager had been one of the students who had given her the awful nicknames that she had endured since freshman year. She knows that Santana still feels majorly guilty about her past bullying but the apologies she had showered Rachel with after being outed by Finn and supported by Rachel were accepted straight away, because they had been sincere. Rachel had at first wondered if Santana was helping her because she despises Finn but she had shaken that form her mind when she remembered that Santana had helped her even before she knew Finn was the culprit.

"How are you feeling, Rachel?" Maribel asks as she bustles into the room with an armful of laundry, successfully dragging Rachel from her thoughts.

"Um..okay, I think," Rachel mumbles. "I'm sorry about..."

"Don't be silly, there's no need to apologise," Maribel interrupts sternly. Rachel is surprised by the kindness in the older woman's eyes and the maternal energy that surrounds her even when she's talking to her or Dave. "We need to talk to you about something important," she adds, sitting down next to her husband after throwing the laundry into the washing machine.

"Maribel, you're making the poor girl nervous," Mateo lightly chastises, sending Rachel a reassuring smile. "We just wanted to ask about your fathers."

"They're away on business," Rachel quickly replies. Too quickly.

"How long have they been away?" Mateo asks gently, not missing that Rachel tenses at the question. "We only want to help you, Rachel, all we ask in return is that you're honest with us. Nothing you say will upset us or make us not want to help you, I promise," he murmurs softly, his eyes gentle and kind as he studies her.

"You can trust him," Santana whispers to her, placing her hand on Rachel's arms and squeezing reassuringly.

"A while," Rachel mumbles, staring down at the varnished wood of the kitchen table. She waits for the explosion of anger that she feels is inevitable, holding her breath and urging the burning tears that floods her gaze not to fall. The anger doesn't come.

"Rachel, look at me, honey." Rachel looks up, surprised at Maribel's soft tone of voice and worried eyes. She doesn't see anger or even pity, only concerned and caring eyes. "How long is a while?" Maribel questions quietly.

"It's been a few weeks," Rachel whispers sadly. "They're usually gone for about a month so they'll be back soon," she adds, feeling like she needs to defend her fathers.

"Do they do this a lot?" Mateo asks, a hint of anger in his usually calm voice, anger that Rachel realises is not directed at her.

"Yeah," Rachel says quietly. "Several times a year. It's alright though, I'm almost eighteen!" she adds quickly.

"Your age doesn't matter, honey, especially if it's been going on for quite a few years, which I'm guessing it has?" Rachel nods and blinks back tears. "I think you should stay here and Mateo agrees with me," Maribel adds gently. "You're a young girl who needs people around her and you've been through a lot recently, I think you really need some people to lean on. Have you spoken to your fathers about it?"

"I tried to, neither of them answered their phones," Rachel states quietly, so quietly that the others at the table have to strain to hear it. "It's not your job to look out for me."

"No, you're right, it's not our job. It's something that we want to do," Maribel states maternally.

"I must warn you, if you think Santana is stubborn then my wife is much worse," Mateo murmurs, Maribel rolling her eyes at him. "You may as well just say yes to her and save yourself an argument," he adds.

"I really don't want to put you to any trouble," Rachel mumbles. "I'll be fine at home."

"Rach, do you really want to be alone right now?" Santana asks her quietly. "I'm not trying to tell you how to handle this, I'm really not but if you do want to be alone then you could still do that here. We will leave you in peace. Whatever you want or need, it's completely up to you," she states soothingly.

"What do you think I should do, Santana?" Rachel questions curiously, searching her new friend's face for an answer.

"It doesn't matter what I want, it's up to you, Rach."

"I know, but I'd like to know," Rachel presses.

"Honestly? I'd feel much better if you were here," Santana tells her in a low voice. "I think you'd be better of here and you'd get the support you need. If you do go home then you'll still have our support and help, that offer won't be retracted," she adds sincerely.

"You really want me to stay here?"

"Yes, very much so," Maribel assures. "We plan to turn Mateo's office into a bedroom, it's inbetween David's room and Santana's and opposite our one, we hope that will make you feel safe."

"That sounds like a lot of trouble," Rachel notes.

"It's not. It used to be a second guest bedroom so there's a closet and stuff already in there. All we would need to do is take the desk out and put a bed in," Santana explains.

"How would we get my bed from my house to here?" Rachel asks and Santana stares at her as though she is insane. The teenager looks across the table at her mother in disbelief. "What?"

"We'll buy a bed, dear. We don't usually invite people to stay with us and then ask them to bring their bed with them," Maribel chuckles. "You'll need a bed here even if you do decide to go home, otherwise there won't be room for Brittany to stay over and I think Santana would throw some sort of tantrum," she teases.

"Mami!" Santana cries out in embarrassment, "I wouldn't throw a tantrum," she vows to Rachel. "But yeah, we need to get you a bed anyway," she adds quietly, much to her mother's amusement.

"Alright, so I have to get back to work but Santana and Maribel will take you to your house to pack some things and I think David would like to go as well, if that's alright with you," Mateo checks with Rachel, smiling softly when she nods. "Good. I assume you'll take them to pick out a bed?" he checks with his wife.

"Yes, of course." Rachel watches as they interact, a small smile playing on her lips as she allows herself to be distracted from inner turmoil. It feels strange to have such a strong and caring support group around her, it's something she hasn't had in years. It's still so surprising to her, not the fact that her parents aren't around and that they're almost impossible to get a hold of, but that it's Santana who is helping her. Sure, they had slowly started to be friends recently but Rachel never imagined that Santana would do so much for her. Hopefully, Santana and her family will be enough to help her through this.

_**To be continued...Thank you for reading. Please review, they are greatly appreciated :)**_


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